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On the last day of British rule in Hong Kong, Detective Inspector Lee of the Hong Kong Police Force leads a raid at a shipping bar wharf, hoping to arrest the mysterious mob boss Juntao. He finds only Sang, Juntao's right hand man, who manages to escape. However, Lee successfully recovers numerous Chinese cultural treasures stolen by Juntao, which he presents as a farewell victory to his departing superiors: Chinese Consul Solon Han and British Commander Thomas Griffin.

Shortly after Han arrives in the United States to take up his new diplomatic post in Los Angeles, his 10-year-old daughter, Soo Yung, is kidnapped by Sang while on her way to her first day of school. The Federal Bureau of Investigation informs Consul Han about the incident, who calls in Lee to assist in the case. The FBI, afraid that the injury or death of Lee would result in negative attention, decide to pawn him off on the Los Angeles Police Department. The arrogant and reckless detective, James Carter is tricked into doing this but Carter makes a plan to solve the case himself when he finds out that he has been given a mundane task.

Carter meets Lee at Los Angeles International Airport and then proceeds to take him on a sightseeing tour of Los Angeles, simultaneously keeping Lee away from the embassy and contacting several of his mob informants about the kidnapping. Lee finally escapes and makes his way to the Chinese Consulate, where an anxious Han and a group of FBI agents are awaiting news about his daughter. While being reprimanded by Agent-in-charge Warren Russ, Carter accidentally involves himself in a phone conversation with Sang, where he poorly arranges a ransom drop of $50 million.

The FBI traces the call to a warehouse and sends in a team of agents only to have them killed by a bomb. Spotting Sang nearby, Lee and Carter give chase, but Sang escapes, dropping the detonator in the process. Carter's colleague, LAPD bomb expert Tania Johnson, helps them trace the detonator to Clive, an explosives dealer previously arrested by Carter. Clive is guilt-tripped by Lee into revealing his business relationship with Juntao whom he meets at a restaurant in Chinatown. The restaurant proves to be a mob headquarters, and an unknowing Carter goes to the restaurant alone where he sees a surveillance video of Juntao carrying Soo Yung into a van. Lee arrives and rescues Carter from the mobsters and destroys the restaurant by an explosion in the kitchen, but the two are taken off the case after the FBI blames them for ruining the ransom drop. Carter, however, decides he can't let this go and decides to finish what he started. When he goes to the airport to retrieve Lee, Lee refuses to tag along, saying Carter disgraced the job of a cop and his father's good name. Carter gets frustrated with Lee's lack of knowledge about his father. Carter finally explains that his father was killed by a man trying to avoid a ticket while his partner just sat in the car and watched, causing Carter's reckless solo act. This is enough to convince Lee to join him to get Soo Yung back.

The final confrontation comes at the opening of a Chinese art exhibition at the Los Angeles Convention Center, which Han and Griffin are overseeing, while the now increased ransom of $70 million is being delivered. Carter, Lee and Johnson enter disguised as guests. They conclude that Griffin is Juntao because Carter recognizes him from the incident in Chinatown and Lee sees him accept a detonator from Sang. With this knowledge, Lee calls out Griffin as the real Juntao, and Griffin, revealing himself to be Juntao, threatens to detonate a bomb vest attached to Soo Yung. During the stand-off, however, Carter manages to sneak out and locate Soo Yung. He then drives the van into the building and brings the bomb vest within range so that Juntao cannot set it off, knowing it would kill himself too.

Johnson manages to cut the right wire on the vest that disables the bomb, narrowly escaping death had she chosen the wrong wire. Juntao heads toward the roof with the briefcase of money. A gunfight between the mob and law enforcement takes place, while Lee takes the vest and pursues Juntao. Sang attempts to kill Carter with a handgun, but Carter drops to the ground and shoots Sang in the heart with a revolver, killing him. Lee and Juntao find themselves dangling from the rafters under the roof. Juntao falls to his death but by the time Lee falls, Carter is able to place a flag underneath and catch him. Han and Soo Yung are reunited, and Han sends Carter and Lee on vacation together to Hong Kong as a reward for their actions. Before Carter leaves, Agents Russ and Whitney offer him a position in the FBI, which he rudely refuses, as he is finally happy with his rank as LAPD. On the plane, Lee begins singing, much to Carter's annoyance.

Rush Hour opened at No. 1 at the North American box office with a weekend gross of $33 million in September 1998.[1][2] Rush Hour grossed over $244 million worldwide, making the film a box office success.[3][4] The film received positive reviews from critics.[5]Roger Ebert praised both Jackie Chan, for his entertaining action sequences without the use of stunt doubles, and Chris Tucker, for his comical acts in the film, and how they formed an effective comic duo.[6] The film currently holds a 62% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, just enough for a "Fresh" rating. It also holds a rating of 6.9/10 on IMDb.[1] The film was viewed on a total of 2,638 screens. It made $54,123,698 in film rentals (U.S.).[4][7]

A sequel Rush Hour 2, was released in 2001, which was primarily set in Hong Kong. A third film, Rush Hour 3, was released on August 10, 2007,[8] which was primarily set in Paris. Tucker earned $25 million for his role in the third film and Chan received the film's distribution rights in Asia.[9] A fourth film in the series is in negotiations, and reportedly may be set in Moscow.[10]